1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvement of a cartridge carrying apparatus and a cartridge carrying method for transferring a cartridge incorporating a magnetic tape and the like between a rack and a storage playback device such as a magnetic tape drive and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As for a cartridge carrying apparatus for transferring a cartridge between a rack which houses aligned cartridges incorporating a storage medium and a storage playback device, a cartridge tape carrier mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 04-364263 (Patent Document 1) and a cartridge feeding mechanism disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. 02-46945 (Patent Document 2) are already known.
The cartridge tape carrier mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a configuration where two sets of feed belt assemblies each of which has feed belts are disposed to be faced to each other, and a cartridge is pressed at its both sides to be fed while oscillation angles and an interval of the feed belt assemblies are being adjusted according to a position where the cartridge is being fed. Accordingly, the assemblies require many oscillation members, many rotation members, and also feed belts. Therefore, it is disadvantageous that a structure of the device and an adjustment work at each section become complicated, and a production cost rises high.
Further, because cartridge insertion/ejection openings of the magnetic tape drive and the rack are arranged to be faced to each other, it is also difficult for the device to be downsized.
The cartridge feeding mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a simpler structure compared to the cartridge tape carrier mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1. However, the mechanism includes a structure where members having large frictional resistance are provided on a surface of the feed belt, and a cartridge is pressed from its both sides to be fed, so that two feed belts are still necessary to be arranged symmetrically at both sides of the cartridge. Note that this cartridge feeding mechanism is specialized for sending/receiving a cartridge between a magnetic tape drive and a handler, and it is not for sending/receiving a cartridge between a rack and a handler.
Above mentioned cartridge tape carrier mechanism and the cartridge feeding mechanism have a structure in which a cartridge is clipped with being pressed and fed. Therefore, if slippage occurs between a feed belt or a member on the surface of feed belt and a surface of a cartridge, it becomes difficult to insert/eject or carry the cartridge well, and a motor for driving the feed belts may lose synchronism.
Further, two sets of conveyance units such as feed belts and the like are required to be provided symmetrically at both sides of a cartridge. Therefore, there are such disadvantages that the structure becomes complicated, an adjustment work becomes not easy to be performed, and it becomes difficult to downsize the device.
In addition, there is a magnetic tape loader also proposed in which a picker formed in a hook shape is engaged with a notch section of a cartridge so as to pull out the cartridge from the rack. However, in this sort of devices, the picker is necessary to be removed from the notch section of a cartridge, so that a stay or a pivot to support the picker swingably, also an operation pole or a spring and the like to swing the picker are required. Therefore, as well as the above case, there is such a disadvantage that a structure of the devices becomes complicated.
Specifically, if it has a structure in which a picker approaches a cartridge from a front side and engages with the notch section formed in a side of the cartridge, a pivot shaft and a drive source need to be disposed in a front side of a cartridge, therefore, a cartridge housing container whose size in an inserting/ejecting direction is exceeding a depth of a cartridge is required. It is disadvantageous in that the cartridge carrying apparatus is enlarged in its depth.